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16 Places That Want You to Stop Visiting (and One That Really, Really Wants You)

Planning a vacation doesn’t usually involve taking stock of local opinion on tourism, but maybe it should. Between overcrowding and bad behavior, locals across the globe are taking a stand against tourists who just can’t seem to travel courteously.

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1 OF 17

Venice

WHERE:
Italy

Being dubbed ‘‘Disneyland on the Sea” isn’t exactly a compliment. While Venetians fight to keep their homes above water, tourists from all over the world clog up famously narrow streets and canals. You know what doesn’t look great with the beautiful Italian architecture? Gigantic cruise ships photobombing your shot.

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2 OF 17

Amsterdam

WHERE:
Netherlands

Sure, this is a place where Anne Frank is memorialized and Van Gough is revered, but you know what makes the trip really worthwhile? A frigging weed café! The incredibly patient residents of Amsterdam deal with a mass tourism influx to their red light district and marijuana dispensaries. Just what you’d want in a visitor to your home: a stoned creep!

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3 OF 17

Santorini

WHERE:
Greece

Santorini capped its cruise visitor capacity at 8,000 persons per day, which seems too generous, really. Yes, the island is insanely beautiful. Sure, you’ll enjoy a famously romantic sunset over Oia–with thousands of other Instagrammers who are working on filtering their shot instead of taking it in. Also, the tourists literally clap for the sunset. What…what are you doing?

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4 OF 17

Oxford

WHERE:
England

Mary Clarkson, Labour councillor and Lord Mayor, tweeted this summer, “Some of us are coming [to the Edinburgh Festival] for a brief respite from the tourist hell of our own small city of Oxford.” She continued, “Oxford is pretty much impossible between June-October. Cycle lanes all full of illegally parked tourist coaches and pavements blocked.”

Machu Picchu

WHERE:
Peru

The remote and ancient site is so popular that the Peruvian government had to put a time restriction on how long tourists can visit, and now requires visitors to acquire a guide to get there. If you must go, for the love of Incan gods, stay on one of the three designated trails.

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8 OF 17

Bolivia

Great Barrier Reef

WHERE:
Australia

It’s called “mass bleaching” and it’s what happens when heat stress kills all the coral in one of the seven wonders of the natural world. Have you ever seen Planet Earth? Can’t you just watch a nature show in HD?

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10 OF 17

Mount Everest

WHERE:
Nepal

Oh, you big dummies. You big, big dummies. You think you’re better than nature? Gotta climb the world’s biggest rock so you can be the bravest person you know? Over 200 people have died trying to summit this mountain. You know what happens to those who didn’t make it back? Their frozen bodies live on as trailmarkers. The locals just love it.

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11 OF 17

Koh Khai Islands

WHERE:
Thailand

80 percent of the reefs along these beautiful coastlines have been damaged due to tourist activities like being a total disrespectful jerk. So now they’re closed to everyone!

Okinoshima

WHERE:
Japan

Watch out, ladies: you are NOT ALLOWED. The men-only island was designated a UNESCO world heritage site, which seems pretty weird since its owners are only willing to concern themselves with half the world. No thanks.